Old cars can be iconic. They can characterize you or make you stand out in a never ending abyss of boring SUVs and minivans.
But when they belch smoke and die on you in the middle of the highway, all of the tie-dyed exterior and tinted windows in the world won’t save you.
We’re talking about your run of the mill clunkers. Those big tubs of automotive metal from 1990-something you’ve got sitting in the garage that probably couldn’t get you more than $500.
Lo and behold, starting Friday that little baby could make you up to $4,500 richer.
The Car Allowance Rebate System -- more affectionately known as the “Cash for Clunkers” program -- starts Friday, which gives cash rebates to car owners who trade in their gas guzzlers for more fuel-efficient vehicles. The auto industry hopes that this program will help jump-start slumping auto sales.
Owners who relinquish cars rated at less than 18 miles per gallon will receive a $3,500 rebate if they purchase a car that gets at least 22 mpg. If your new vehicle is 10 mpg more efficient than your trade-in, you’ll receive a rebate of $4,500.
Starting your engine already? You’re not the only one.
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"There's a lot of interest, and there's a lot of junk out on the road," Roger Rudin, general manager of Willowbrook Kia/Ford told the Chicago Tribune.
The $1 billion program has spawned plenty of inquiries, and Rudin expects to sell 20 to 30 new cars Friday.
But not all dealers have such high hopes for the program.
"We've already had a lot of people that have come in that were very disappointed that their cars didn't qualify," Al Frisch, owner of Highland Park Ford Lincoln Mercury said. "They might have had a car that pricewise was a clunker, but it has to get less than 18 miles to the gallon."
But for those of us with the rusted over, one-door-won’t-open cars that do qualify, this could be our lucky day.
Let’s just hope we can get our clunkers all the way to the dealership before they cachunk their final cachunk.
